NEWS CENTER – The Iranian authorities re-issued the death sentence against Kurdish activist Varisha Moradi, in a step that sparked the anger of feminist institutions, including the coordination of the Star Congress, which considered the decision an escalation in the policies of repression and intimidation against women and the Kurdish people.

The coordination of the Star Congress issued today, Monday, 19 October, a written statement to public opinion, in which it warned of the coincidence of the threat to execute Varisha Moradi with the continuation of military operations and bombardment in various areas of eastern Kurdistan.

The statement said: "The re-issuance of the death sentence against Kurdish activist Varisha Moradi in Iran once again shows the Iranian regime's insistence on continuing its policies based on repression, intimidation, and silencing women."

The statement confirmed that "it is neither possible nor acceptable that a woman who dedicated her life to the struggle for the freedom of the Kurdish people, women's pursuit of equality and freedom, human rights, and building a life worthy of human dignity, be left under the threat of execution. This decision constitutes, at the same time, an explicit attack on women's will for freedom, the democratic demands of the Kurdish people, and the societal voices rising in the face of repression."

The statement noted that about two years have passed since Varisha Moradi's suffering in prisons, during which she was subjected to severe isolation, physical and psychological torture, and detention conditions that violate human dignity. "The pressures imposed on her since the first day of her arrest, the health problems she suffers from, and the obstacles she faces in obtaining treatment, are all parts of the systematic intimidation policy practiced against her. Despite all these pressures, she has not retreated from her will for freedom."

It added: "Today, they are also seeking to silence Varisha Moradi through execution. But any repressive policy targeting a woman's life and her struggle for freedom will not be able to achieve victory, especially when resistance is the response to repression. On the other hand, when the Iranian regime confines its treatment of the Kurdish people, women, and opposition groups in society within a security and punitive framework only, it treats democratic demands as a threat, criminalizes the pursuit of rights, and confronts the desire of different identities to exist freely with repression. Also, the attempt to subjugate women's struggle for freedom through death sentences clearly reveals the political dimension of this repression."

The coordination of the Star Congress confirmed that the demand for women's freedom cannot be erased by a judicial decision. "Every attempt to silence a woman's voice shows once again why the struggle for equality and freedom remains a standing necessity."

The coordination believes that the response to the demands of various segments of the people in Iran for freedom, justice, equality, and a dignified life cannot be with more repression, executions, and military operations. "The escalation of military attacks launched by the Iranian regime in various areas of eastern Kurdistan, during the days following the re-issuance of the death sentence against Varisha Moradi, draws attention and carries important connotations. On the one hand, Kurdish female activists are left under the threat of execution, and on the other hand, military operations and bombardment continue in areas inhabited by Kurds. This clearly reveals the Iranian regime's approach toward the Kurdish issue and its position on political rights."

The statement directed a call to all women's organizations, feminist movements, human rights organizations, legal organizations, democratic institutions, and international solidarity networks. "We affirm that raising your voices to stop and annul the death sentence issued against Varisha Moradi represents a historical responsibility."

The coordination of the Star Congress confirmed that "in the face of the policies of repression and intimidation pursued by the Iranian regime, there is a need to build effective and sustainable popular pressure. It must also be demanded to form an independent investigation committee to reveal all human rights violations committed against Varisha Moradi, and to struggle to ensure the formation of this committee."